Technology and new ideas have changed many classroom settings. Many students are used to having their teachers lecture, but with students gaining more access to information, the roles from the traditional classrooms are changing dramatically. Although students seem to have a bigger role in the classroom, they are not more knowledgeable than the teacher. Without the teachers providing the information to the students, students could not build off of the information and have a higher level of thinking. Socializing in class is not looked upon as a bad thing, but research has found that those students who are in the classroom and stay more focused on their studies tend to do better than those who do not. The positive thing about socializing is if it is on the given topic. This allows the students to build off of one another and create a bigger knowledge base. The new abundant economy of information has greater implications. This new breakthrough of excessive information will allow students to gain more knowledge and fulfill a larger role in the classroom with the teachers’ assistance.

Questions and Answers

Q1: How will the issue help or hinder student learning?

A1: This issue will help student learning because it will allow the students to gain more access to information. By allowing students to bounce ideas off of each other they can gain more information, if the socializing in the class is on that specific topic. The teacher will aid the students in such ways that will help the student reach new goals and feel successful. It could hinder the classroom if the information was too much and some of the students felt as though they were falling behind in the classroom. This would put the self confidence in some students down and they would not want to try new things.

Q2: How will the issue help or hinder your teaching practice? Why?

A2: This issue will help my teaching practices immensely. It will be very important for me, as a teacher, to provide the right amount of information for my students that they can use. I want to make sure I am a good role model for my students to gain more information from. I am their main source of learning and knowing what to do, so I want to help them in every way that I can. I think that it is a great thing that students are thinking on a higher level and are going above and beyond to become successful in the classroom setting. I want to help my students as much as I can if they feel they are struggling with this new set up in the classroom. I do not want students to feel as though they cannot be successful in the class. It is very important for everyone to reach their own individual goals no matter what!

This article reveals a middle school’s secrets on how to use an interactive software that helps students understand math concepts. In Rockford, Michigan, several students struggle reaching math curriculums. These types of students are placed in the TenMarks programs, which tries to help students succeed in that subject. Many teachers and principles have found success in this program. The program has a playlist that allows the student and the teacher to see an overview of how the student is doing. Teachers can change the ideas in the TenMarks program to coincide with what they are learning in class. Teachers say that students seem to enjoy using the technology and that it really seems to show improvements. There are video lessons that help guide the student along with the problem. This program helps both struggling math students and special education students. Teachers are able to monitor the amount of time each middle school student spends on a problem, so they can see what they are struggling with. The Rockford Schools, spent 3,000 dollars for the program. Students seem to really like the program and are more confident in math.

A1: The use of this new program, TenMarks, would defiantly help with my relationship with my students. They would get the help and the assistance they needed and they would not feel as though they were getting “extra help” from their teacher. It is an easy way to engage the students in math and help them expand their thinking and learning. I believe that parents, colleagues, and principles would think that this program is very beneficial to the student. It has obviously seemed to help students in Rockford, Michigan and I am sure that it would show improvements with students who struggle with math. I would share this program with other colleagues that I knew, so they could use it in their teaching practices and see how well that it aids the student.

Q2: Have you ever experienced a program like this that has helped you in any way?

A2: I am currently enrolled in a math course at college that I do my homework online and it does seem to help out a lot. There are resources such as videos and examples that assist me with each problem that I have to do. I was confused on how to use the program online, but once I got the hang of it, I thought it was a great way to get work done. When I am teacher, I will assist my students on how to properly use the TenMarks program.

Part l Summary: This article is about Charleston County Schools and their new iPad addition to their school. They have spent over 9 million dollars on iPads in their schools because they believe that it will increase students’ test scores. Many officials have found jumps in test scores due to the use of iPads in the classroom. A principle Travis Benintendo from Haut Gap Middle School, believes that the iPads are a great learning tool for students and is a new way to engage students academically. Charleston wants to expand the use of iPads to all schools in the district. When looking at test scores, they found many gains in reading for fifth and eighth grade students. When looking at math scores, they found many gains in eighth graders as well as gains of certain ethnicities such as black, Hispanic, and language learners. The more the teachers are knowledgeable on the new technology, they believe, the more effective it will be on the students and their learning. When students of Haut Gap Middle School were asked how they liked the iPad one said that she likes how fast she is able to receive the information that she is looking for. Principle Travis Benintendo wants to make sure that teachers are trained on how to properly use the devices. It is a slow process of introducing technology into classes and it is something that cannot be rushed if they want it to work effectively.

Part ll Questions and Answers:

Q1: How will this issue help or hinder student learning?

A1: iPads will help student learning by allowing them to use different tools to find information. The more you engage students in learning, the better that they will be in the long run. Introducing it at a younger age, I believe, would even be better for the student. This would allow them to get a firsthand experience on how to properly use new technology that will benefit them in the learning process. The only way that this could hinder the student is if the student did not use the technology wisely and used it for playing games. There is a big difference between the iPad the students may use at home versus the iPad that they use in classrooms.

Q2: What examples of this issue have you observed in your own experience?

A2: I helped out in a fifth grade special education class in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The children had access to iPads in the classroom, to assist their learning and it really seemed to engage the students. The teacher had only a few iPads for the small group of children that she worked with, so the device was under control of the teacher. Students seemed to enjoy using the iPad to look up information for their project that was coming up. Some students had trouble using the iPad at first, but the teacher guided them along to show the students how to properly use the device.

Part l Summary: This article touches on the advantages of having technology in the every day classroom. Anna Barry School is using recent technology to engage the students in learning. The children receive a device that looks a lot like a remote and they are able to put their answer in it. This is an easy way for the students and the teachers to get instant feedback. Allyson Sederland, a fifth grade teacher at Anna Barry School, uses this technology for things such as spelling tests, centers, and some independent work. She finds that the children really enjoy using the technology. Because she is able to get instant feedback, Sederland decides what subjects she needs to go over again. The remote technology was also popular with Fairview Veterans Memorial Middle School. Teachers were able to attend a class that instructed them on how to use such technology. Although a lot of teachers enjoy using this technology, some still grade papers by hand so parents are able to see their child’s work. Technology is not a thing of the past and is getting more and more advanced each and everyday.

Part ll Questions and Answers:

Q1: How will the issue help or hinder your teaching practice? Why?

A1: I believe that this issue will help my teaching practice. Technology is growing and children are more exposed to it then they were in the past. If they are able to use technology at school, I believe that they will be more engaged in the subject and are more eager to learn. Technology in the classroom is also beneficial for the teacher because they get instant feedback on how their students are doing. Teachers are able to change and fix their teaching practices more efficiently. The only way it could hinder my teaching practice is for the children to rely too much on the technology. Other than that, technology in the classroom is a very helpful tool for both teachers and students.

Q2: What is your opinion of the issue in the article? Agree or disagree? Why?

A2: I think that technology is a great way of getting the students involved in the classroom and a great way of getting instant feedback, as I mentioned in my answer above. I believe that technology is a good thing, but I do not think that it should be used for everything that the children learn in the classroom. I personally enjoy hands on activities, so I think the remote technology is one way to satisfy that, but I also think that children should do other hands on activities. With subjects such as science, students should be able to do different experiments without technology. When I become a teacher, I do not want my students relying on technology every time to give them the answer. Overall, I believe that technology is good in the classroom, as long as its used appropriately and has moderation to it.

Q3: What examples of issues have you observed in your own experience?

A3: I grew up with limited technology in my elementary classrooms. It was only until I reached middle and high school, where I saw a slight change of the use of technology. I had a mix of education with and without technology. I thought that I learned more efficiently when I was forced to do the work on my own. Students are able to get the answers they need a lot more quickly with computers and other devices close at hand. When I was in elementary school, I had to look up a definition of a word in the dictionary and now students today can look it up on their iPads and laptops. I do not want to see children not being able to learn as much because they have so much access to technology. Do not get me wrong, I think that technology is a great way to get kids involved. I think because as a child, I was not exposed to technology and that’s why I did not rely on it as much in school and therefore learned better without it for a while. Now, children are exposed to it at a younger age, so maybe it is more beneficial for them than it was for me. This article has shown me that students do seem to enjoy using it and it is a great way of getting fast and easy results; I just hope that students are still fully learning the material.